System and method of accessing and recording messages at coordinate way points

ABSTRACT

A method and system for leaving and retrieving messages at specific coordinate way points within a commercial mobile radio service (CMRS) provider network are disclosed. Users carry or transport interface devices for communicating over the network and are able to record and view messages at specific coordinate locations while traveling in the network. The location of the device is calculated by the device or by the network while the device is powered on and within the physical boundaries of the network, or through a combination of both. Messages can be made available to network subscribers when their interface devices come within an area centered about a physical coordinate location. Personalized messages can also be left by subscribers at any coordinate point within the boundaries of the network. Access of information about an asset is facilitated when a technician comes within a physical proximity threshold relative to the asset.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/245,318 filed Sep. 26, 2011, which is aContinuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/034,435filed Feb. 20, 2008, which will issue as U.S. Pat. No. 8,027,692 on Sep.27, 2011, which is a Continuation application of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 10/760,095 filed Jan. 16, 2004, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,363,024issued Apr. 22, 2008, which is a Continuation-in-Part of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 10/195,952 filed Jul. 16, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No.6,681,107 issued Jan. 20, 2004, which is a Continuation-in-Part of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 10/102,325 filed Mar. 20, 2002, now U.S.Pat. No. 6,480,713 issued Nov. 12, 2002, which is a Continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 09/732,170 filed Dec. 6, 2000, now U.S. Pat.No. 6,377,793 issued Apr. 23, 2002, the disclosures of which are herebyincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

As our society continues to evolve and become more integrated withtechnology, demand for wireless information increases constantly. Mobilephones, pagers, personal communications devices, wearable computers,handheld and car mounted GPS devices, and wireless personal digitalassistants (PDAs) are becoming commonplace. These devices provide userswith customizable content and specific information while they are on themove. Of particular utility are positioning system devices which conveyto a person their physical location at a point in time. The globalpositioning system (hereinafter GPS) allows persons to pinpoint theirlocation at any point on the earth to within a few meters of precision.The backbone of the system is the NAVSTAR satellite constellation,comprised of 17 low orbit satellites that transmit synchronized signals,which among other things, are representative of time. Originallydesignated for military use in location and ordinance guidance systems,the system is now available for public and commercial use. Individualscan walk or drive around with handheld devices costing only a fewhundred dollars and know exactly where they are going, record coordinateway points, view their position in the context of maps, and recordroutes traveled. This has become a standard feature in luxuryautomobiles allowing drivers and passengers to view, in real orsemi-real time, their location superimposed on a road map. The deviceswork by reading triangulated signal information from three satellites todetermine a precise location. The differences in arrival times of thetime-synchronized signals allow the device to calculate its position.The problem with GPS is that a separate receiver is needed to receivethe satellites' signals and that the signal itself is very weak. Thus,any overhead cover, such as trees, tunnels, overpasses, etc., canprevent the receiver from receiving its signal.

Cellular and wireless networks are also capable of delivering this kindof position information to their subscribers. Through triangulation,signal strength measurements, angle of incidence measurements, GPS overcellular, and combinations of these techniques, cellular networks canpinpoint the location of a driver to within reasonable levels ofaccuracy. Especially in densely populated areas, where there are manycellular towers within close proximity to one another, it is possible todetermine, within tens of meters of accuracy, the location of a user ofa cellular phone.

In 1998, the Federal Communications Commission (hereinafter FCC)mandated in its rules for commercial mobile radio service (hereinafterCMRS) providers that the providers upgrade their networks to facilitateemergency 911 or E911 service, requiring them not only to connect thecalls to the appropriate operator and transmit the caller's phonenumber, but also to transmit position information on the originationpoint of the call. The Commission adopted E911 rules in accordance withan agreement between the wireless industry and state and local 911officials to promote wireless technologies and transmissions thatprovide important information to enable the 911 Public Safety AnsweringPoint (PSAP) to promptly locate the 911 caller. The wireless E911service was established to ensure that wireless phones automaticallytransmit the same vital data about a 911 caller's location as wire linephones. CMRS providers were expected to achieve transmission of theenhanced location information in two phases, with Phase I to begin Apr.1, 1998. Accordingly, the E911 rules now provide that, for Phase I,carriers transmit a caller's Automatic Number Identification (ANI) andthe location of the cell site or base station receiving a 911 call tothe designated 911 PSAP beginning Apr. 1, 1998. These capabilities allowthe PSAP attendant to call back if the 911 call is disconnected and toprovide general location information to assist in the prompt dispatch ofemergency personnel.

As for Phase II, carriers are to transmit more accurate AutomaticLocation Information (ALI) of a caller beginning Oct. 1, 2001, accordingto phased-in timetables for handset-based and network-basedtechnologies. The specific requirements for Phase II state that coveredcarriers provide to the designated PSAP the location of a 911 call bylongitude and latitude within a radius of no more than 125 meters in 67percent of all cases, using Root Mean Square (RMS) methodology. The twoprerequisites in the current rules for a carrier's obligation toimplement either Phase I or Phase II are that: (1) the carrier hasreceived a request for such service from a PSAP that has thecapabilities of receiving and using the data, and (2) a mechanism forrecovering the costs of the service is in place. The solution for theCMRS providers to Phase II can come from either the network or thehandset; however, if the carriers choose, the handset-based solution forPhase II deployment, they are required to begin selling and activatingPhase II-compliant handsets no later than Mar. 1, 2001, without regardto the PSAP-related prerequisites. In November of 1999, the FCC amendedits cost recovery rule to modify the requirement that a mechanism forcost recovery be in place before a carrier is obligated to provide E911services. The FCC affirmed the requirement that a formal mechanism be inplace for PSAP cost recovery, but eliminated as a barrier to E911implementation, any prerequisite that carrier's E911 costs be covered bya mechanism.

Successful implementation of E911 will establish 911 as a universalnumber so that a user of a wireless phone could simply dial 911regardless of whether they are in their home network or not. This willrequire the wireless provider to transmit simultaneous to the call,position information on the user to the 911 operator so that emergencypersonnel can be dispatched to the location of the caller. Upgradingtheir networks to provide this service is a significant cost to both thewireless provider as well as the local government who employs the 911operators and maintains the call receiving hardware. This has been apoint of contention by the wireless service providers. They have beenreluctant to adhere to mandates to provide E911 service without a costrecovery mechanism in place due to the fact that providing this servicecosts them additional money, reducing their profit margin, and does notgenerate any additional revenue. It would be desirable for the wirelessproviders to have a mechanism for generating a return on investment inthe infrastructure required to provide E911 service. Such a mechanismwould make compliance with the FCC Phase II mandate more attractive toCMRS providers and may provide a way for them to increase theirprofitability by expanding their commercial services to include locationspecific content.

Currently, there are three variants of technologies for determining thelocation of a network activated mobile phone. Broadly, these fall intothe categories of network-implemented, handset-implemented, or hybrid.Network-based answers are usually based on a combination of systemscalled time of arrival (TOA), time difference of arrival (TDOA), and anamplitude difference based on angle of arrival (AD-AOA). Under TDOA, thetime difference between a signal from a mobile phone arriving at threedifferent base stations are measured, giving a calculation of themobile's location. AD-AOA calculates the angle of a signal arriving attwo base stations, again yielding a location, and the combination ofthese two technologies yields accuracy in the region of 100 meters. Allmethods are currently in the experimental stage, thus, a uniformstandard which will operate across all proprietary CMRS networks has yetto be established.

As for handset-implemented solutions, GPS remains a viable solution andthe most probable in the short term. This technology is well establishedand with the recent removal of the signal degradation, accuracy on theorder of tens of meters can be achieved with a small GPS receiver.Handset-implemented solutions relying on GPS devices will requireadditional chips and software added to handsets so they can track thesatellites upon which the GPS system relies. To improve accuracy andin-building coverage, the system uses a secondary signal from thenetwork.

A third, hybrid system uses observed time difference or OTD, and isimplemented both in the handset and in a network server based onuploaded measurements from handsets of the time of arrival of signalsfrom at least three different base stations.

There has been recent discussion of potential cost recovery mechanismsthat could extract commercial value from the expenditure associated withproviding Phase II E911 service. These mechanisms are based on providinglocation specific marketing information to wireless subscribers tooffset costs. An article in Internet Week, Sep. 18, 2000, by TeriRobinson, entitled, “Wireless Applications—Location isEverything—Wireless location services may prove that the first law ofreal estate is also true for the Net,” discusses some of these. Thearticle states, “As location services evolve, it's conceivable that auser travelling down the New Jersey Turnpike would be hit with offersfrom fast food restaurants, outlets or anything else along his routethat might want to lure him toward, for example, the offer of a 99 centBig Mac two exits away. Location services also offer retailers anopportunity to dovetail e-commerce and brick-and-mortar strategies,using wireless technology to drive customers into physical stores.Barnes & Noble.com, for example supports Palm VII's auto-find feature,which helps users find the location of the three nearest Barnes & Noblestores. The response delivers information about store hours, telephonenumbers, and locations, as well as special events such as book readingsand signings.” The article also concedes that there are other existinglocation solutions, however, they are limited in their capability andfail to fully solve the problem. “Among the most tried and true locationmethods is the one that has travelers voluntarily enter the zip codes oftheir locations. It doesn't require any special equipment or investment,and it certainly allays privacy issues. However, the problem with thisapproach is its dependency on the user to provide vendors with theneeded information on location. Even when the user is reliable, he maynot be able to provide that information.

Another exemplary discussion of the cost recovery solutions is providedin Technology Review, September, 2000, authored by John Adam, entitled“Internet Everywhere.” The article admits that the value of wireless,handhelds will be greatly increased when the network can tell where theyare. As an example, the article states “. . . the screen of a wirelessdevice could continuously change as you walk down a street, tempting youwith various offers. Your spouse's screen might differ from yours, eventhough you are near the same bookstore, restaurant or shopping center.When you pass a certain store, your To Do list stored on a networkreminds you to pick up an item that has been spotted in the store'svirtual database. Or maybe a local store wants to drum up business oneThursday morning. It offers a discount for the next two hours to allreceptive people within a 1-mile radius. It is also conceivable to blendpersonal buddy lists with geographic location, so any networked friendspassing within five blocks will know you are at the coffee shop,amenable to old fashioned face-to-face conversation.” The article,however, is directed towards possible future capabilities and featuresof commercial services that could be provided to network subscribersthat utilize the same infrastructure facilitating Phase II E911, ratherthan disclosing any practical functional embodiments to perform theseservices. The article also fails to mention other possible uses oflocation specific content.

Still further, Bar et al (U.S. 2001/0044309) discloses a method andsystem for providing real-time location-based services whereby real timelocation information of cellular telephone users are distributed tovarious third party information subscribers. In one embodiment, Bar etal discloses information or advertisements being provided to the userbased on a present location and/or the user's personal profile. In analternative embodiment, a server can “push” information to the user byactively placing an automated phone call to the user upon entering thelocal area of a matching event. However, Bar et al limits the inventionto one-way communication from the network to the user and fails tomention the user actively communicating with the network. Further, inthe Bar et al system, a call is required to be made either by the userto the network or the network to the user in order for the user tointeract with the network. The present disclosure is not limited in thismanner.

Additionally, Alperovich et al (U.S. Pat. No. 6,119,014) discloses asystem and method for displaying short messages depending upon location,priority, and user-defined indicators wherein when a subscriber sendsshort messages to another subscriber, the originating subscriber canspecify the time of delivery of the message, including the time(s) torepeat delivery of the messages. In addition, the originating subscribercan specify the priority associated with the message or that the messageis to be delivered only when the called subscriber is in a certainlocation. However, Alperovich et al does not allow users to post andreceive messages to specific coordinate locations and requires themessage to have a specific recipient.

Thus, there exists a clear need for a cost recovery mechanism for CMRSproviders for upgrading their wireless networks to support E911 serviceas the costs associated with implementation are significant. Such amechanism will speed up compliance with the FCC rules and help to ensureeffective E911 service for wireless customers.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure provides a system and method for accessing andretrieving messages at specific coordinate way points or areas centeredabout specific coordinate way points. The present disclosure allowsnetwork subscribers to retrieve commercial, personal, and informationalmessages at specific locations and allows them to leave personalizedmessages at specific locations using a subscriber device. Additionally,the present disclosure provides a cost recovery mechanism for CMRSproviders to recover costs associated with upgrading their networks tofacilitate E911 Phase II coordinate capabilities by providing theseservices together with E911 service to their subscribers. For thepurposes of this disclosure and claims the term subscriber deviceincludes mobile phone devices, car-based communication devices, personalcommunication devices, communication enabled wearable computers,personal digital assistants, portable computers, internet appliances, orother mobile communication and computing devices which are operable tocommunicate with a commercial wireless network. By wearable computer ismeant a computer such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,844,824,assigned to Xybernaut Corporation and successfully commercialized underthe name Mobile Assistant, in addition to any other body-worn oruser-supported computing device which is capable of wirelesscommunication.

Using triangulation or one or more other proposed techniques, thenetwork is able to pinpoint a relative location of the user of thedevice, check the user's preferences and selectively allow the user toview any applicable messages. For the purposes of this disclosure andthe claims, triangulation will be taken to mean an algorithmic approachto calculating a location that three or more signals either coming fromor going to separate locations and using the differences in theirarrival times, the differences in their relative strengths, or thedifferences in the angle of arrival, to derive a location. When the userenters an area, centered about a latitudinal and longitudinal coordinatepoint, he automatically receives a message if his preferences permitreceiving the particular type of message that is available.Additionally, he is able to record a specific location and to attach amessage, file, or other information to that location so that it may beavailable to himself and others. The device possesses at least one userinterface for leaving and retrieving messages, and optionally oneinterface for each. This interface includes a screen on the device,software, voice activated controls, speech output, push buttons, virtualkeyboard, and combinations thereof. Alternatively or in combinationwith, a personal computer may be utilized to upload messages to aspecific location.

In one aspect, users carry handheld devices which communicate over thenetwork. The devices can be mobile phones, communication enabled PDAs,personal communications devices, handheld internet appliances, or otherportable computing devices capable of communicating over a CMRS network.They use these devices to interact with the network and to access andrecord messages at specific physical coordinate locations. The storage,display and audio capabilities of these devices are used to store,download, upload and replay the messages in a manner analogous to theway current handheld communication devices are used to make calls and toupload and download information. The device possesses a uniqueidentification number, such as the phone number, which identifies it tothe CMRS network.

In another aspect, a subscriber has a device in or attached to hisvehicle which functions like a wireless phone and is activated in awireless network such as the Sprint® PCS network. The subscriber deviceperforms as a standard mobile phone, using CDMA, Wide Band CDMA, TDMA,FDMA or other known or previously undeveloped communication protocolsfor communicating within the wireless network. The device has anintegral or attached display screen which could be built into the dashboard of the car. The screen is used to display the content of graphicalmessages and optionally to serve as an interface with the network. Likeexisting communication devices, the device has a unique code, such asthe phone number of the phone, which identifies and distinguishes itfrom other devices within the network.

A unique code of the subscriber device allows the network to identifythe subscriber uniquely. Either the user's subscriber device or thenetwork stores preferences with respect to different types of messagesthat may be received. Potential message types can include personalmessages, historical messages (e.g., plaque's along the roadside whichconvey historical information about the immediate area), informationalmessages (e.g., traffic messages, accident information, alternate routeinformation, etc.), commercial messages (e.g., advertisements for localbusinesses which are near the location of the user), dynamic messages,and directional messages.

As to personal messages, subscribers of the network may be given theoption of leaving a specific message at a particular coordinatelocation. This can be facilitated by using the subscriber's device. Hemerely pushes a button at a specific location causing the device to savethe physical location. Then he can push a “record message” button whichallows him to speak a message into his device. This message could bedirections to the subscriber's house from the specific location or anyother personal message. The message is then uploaded to the networkwhere it will become available to other network subscribers. It shouldbe noted that not only text and voice messages can be left on thesystem, but also video messages, including video stills and motionvideo, attachments, and combinations of video and audio can also beleft. The person creating the message can designate whether the messageis available to all subscribers, only the persons stored in the memoryof the subscriber's device, a subset of the persons stored in memory, oreven a single person. The person can also designate the time period forthe message to be available, in the absence of a default time period, sothat messages are not left forever, clogging up the storage space on thenetwork and overwhelming the user devices. This enables subscribers toleave “virtual post-it notes” or “virtual graffiti” nearly anywhere. Themessage could even be a reminder left by a person for himself, or avideo or audio clip.

In an additional aspect, the system can be used to facilitate dynamic,near real-time messages. For example, when a person enters the domain ofan asset such as a bus or train stop, either automatically, or at theinitiation of the user, his device receives a message informing him ofthe arrival time of the next bus or train. The message could state “bus12B will arrive in approximately 10 minutes.” This information allowsthe recipient to plan his time, if he wanted to go to a nearby store topurchase something or if he would be better off to stay and wait for thebus. This requires the bus to also be equipped with a device so that itsposition can be monitored as well. This information could beautomatically pushed to the user's device or it could be pulled by himin response to an issued command.

In another embodiment, the system and method of the present inventioncan be used to conduct financial transactions with an asset. The assetwhether it is an athletic stadium or a hotel or motel would be capableof advertising by posting ads to its physical location. A customer couldenter a code or alias associated with the particular asset he wished totransact with and get access to a wide range of merchandise. Forexample, FedEx Stadium may advertise unsold seats at a reduced price theday of a game and have the information associated with the location ofthe stadium posted on the network. A customer located either inproximity or remote from the stadium could then enter the codeassociated with FedEx stadium into his communication Device and initiatea paperless financial transaction which would be billed to thecustomer's account on file with his Device's service provider.Alternatively, the message or advertisement left at the way point can beprogrammed to propagate to a specific distance, such as 1 mile, 5 miles,10 miles, etc. from the center of the way point. This distance can beuser-defined or asset-defined parameter.

In another related aspect, the disclosed system and method can be usedto create affinity groups comprised of other network subscribers. Thedevice itself can be used as a sort of pager to alert others of theirpresence within a physical location threshold within the entire area ofthe CMRS provider network. For instance, if a user 1 has user 2 listedin his affinity group, and user 2 comes into a geographical area withina pre-specified radius of the location of user 1, then a message canautomatically be received on the device of user 1 announcing thepresence of user 2. Conversely, a message could appear on user 2'sdevice alerting him of his close proximity to user 1. This affinitygroup feature will also allow creators, and optionally members, of agroup to leave a single message to all members of a group that may ormay not be tied to a specific coordinate location. For instance, when ateam of employees arrive in a city for an event, such as, a salesmeeting or a trade show, the members are each able access a generalmessage left for all of them when they arrive at or nearby the airport.This information could be information on their accommodations or aschedule of the upcoming events. The system may also optionally allowgroup members to send near real-time messages to other group members atonce, simply by designating the group, without regard to any specificcoordinate location. This may be particularly beneficial to businesscustomers. Each customer account, such as XYZ company, couldadministrate its own affinity groups and control group messages sentout. Also, it would be useful for the CMRS provider to have a worldwideweb (WWW) interface to allow persons to enter a city, an address, or alocation such as an airport, and to be able to tag a message to thatlocation without having to actually drive through that location for thepurpose of attaching a message to that location. For example, a personaccesses the WWW interface and chooses to leave a message for anindividual or for an affinity group at Los Angeles Airport, or at anypoint in the city of Denver. When the individual or group members reachthe location, the message appears on their device.

In yet another aspect, the present disclosure allows a maintenance orinspection person to go to the site of a fixed asset such as a piece ofequipment, transformer station, cellular tower, etc., and once hearrives at the site of the asset, receive the information about theasset. Such information could include repair records, date ofinstallation, technical information such as schematics, steps forperforming repair or inspections on the asset, etc. The techniciancarries or wears an interface device with integral display that allowshim to view and reference the transmitted information about the specificpiece of equipment or asset. This allows him to have access toinformation about a device without having to carry it with him.Additionally, as he leaves the site to go to another he can simply erasethe dynamic memory in his device so that he has room to receiveinformation about the next device. Any work performed or notes made bythe technician may be added to a historical log and uploaded to thesystem so that they are available for future reference. In this manner,if a different technician returns to the site at a later date, he willhave a full history of the device. For example, if the previoustechnician made a note that a specific part was suffering wear and mayneed to be replaced at the next inspection/servicing, the new technicianwould be alerted to look for that rather than starting fresh each timehe returns. This increases efficiency and reduces downtime due toequipment breakdown.

In yet an additional aspect, the present disclosure can be used tofacilitate orienteering-type gaming and even military applications. Forinstance, specific instructions or messages could be left for personswhen they get to a certain area centered about a specific latitudinaland longitudinal coordinate location. The person leaving the message candictate whether a code is required to access the message or if a list ofpersons, characterized by the unique number of their device, can accessthe message. If the former, a message appears on the device of theperson entering the area, requesting him to enter his access code toactually receive the message. In military applications, the disclosedsystem could be used to leave limited access messages for troops atspecific coordinate locations or issue warnings if someone is going offcourse.

In a still further aspect, the present disclosure allows the subscriberor user to control the level of granularity with which information wouldbe made available to the user. For example, this could range in theexact x-y coordinate location to 5 miles of the x-y coordinate location.Each step in the zooming in or out from the position could be set at ⅛of a mile or approximately 600 feet. This would allow the subscriber todesignate restaurants serving Chinese food, for example, which havemessages such as coupons near the subscriber's physical location and theability to enlarge the requested area by ⅛ mile from the physicallocation of the subscriber. This feature also allows the subscriber tofilter available messages to those that are near the subscribersintended route thus not overwhelming the system and the subscriber'sdevice with undesired messages.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an overview of the system components of the presentdisclosure.

FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate an automobile-based embodiment and userdevice of the system of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 illustrates a flow diagram representative of how the systemmonitors the location of the subscriber devices and determines whetheror not to send a message.

FIG. 4 breaks down an exemplary outgoing device beacon signal and theinformation contained therein.

FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary preference code bit table.

FIG. 6 illustrates a flow diagram representing the sequence of recordinga coordinate way point and receiving a message code associated with theway point so that a message can be associated with the location.

FIG. 7 illustrates two alternative pathways for transferring a messageassociated with a message code to the network using the user'scommunication device.

FIG. 8 illustrates an alternative method for transferring a messageassociated with a message code to the network using the keyboardintegral to the user's communications device.

FIG. 9 illustrates an alternative method of entering a messageassociated with a message code to the network by using a World Wide Webinterface and a personal computer.

FIG. 10 illustrates the procedure for updating and creating an affinitygroup.

FIG. 11 illustrates the procedure for using the affinity group featureto update or create and then to send a message to all members of thegroup.

FIG. 12 illustrates the process of recording a message and sending it tomembers of an affinity group wherein the message is recorded at the usercommunication device.

FIG. 13 illustrates the process for leaving messages for all members ofan affinity group through either the WWW interface or direct use of thedevice.

FIG. 14 illustrates the notification process with respect to members ofan affinity group coming into proximity of one another.

FIG. 15 illustrates an overview of an embodiment of the presentdisclosure in which the locating of the user device is performed by thenetwork itself.

FIG. 16 illustrates in flow diagram form the steps performed by thesystem and the user when performing the location of the user device.

FIG. 17 illustrates an overview of an embodiment of the presentdisclosure in which the locating of the user device is performed by theuser device itself.

FIG. 18 illustrates in flow diagram form the steps performed by thesystem and the user when the device itself performs the triangulationfunction.

FIG. 19 illustrates, in flow chart format, a method for real estateinquires in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 20 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the entire systemconfigured specifically to facilitate financial transactions.

FIG. 21 illustrates, in flow chart format, a method for financialtransactions with an asset in accordance with a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The system and method of the present disclosure will now be discussedwith specific reference to the figures. FIG. 1 illustrates an overviewof the entire system and method of the present disclosure. The essentialcomponents are a commercial mobile radio service network comprised ofwireless receiving towers 100, a hardwire backbone switching network anddata management server 103 communicating electronically overcommunications link 106, a plurality of user communication devices 102communicating wirelessly with receiving towers 100 over communicationslink 101, additionally and/or alternatively a plurality of user personalcomputer devices 105 communicating electronically over communicationslink 107, and an HTTP server 104 for receiving communication from thecomputer devices 105, and routing message and subscriber information tothe data management server 103. One of ordinary skill in the art willappreciate and understand that subscriber communications devices 102 caninclude mobile phones, car mounted phone, wireless internet appliances,personal digital assistants (PDA), wearable or otherwise portablecomputers which possess communications hardware or other suitablecommunication means. By “possess communications hardware” is meant thatthe communication device is embedded, attached, removably attached,integral to, or communicating with the computer. In one embodiment,users carry the personal communication devices 102 on their body such aswireless communications devices commonly known in the art andsuccessfully commercialized by companies such as Nokia Inc., EricssonInc., Motorola Inc., Palm Corporation, and Hand Spring, among others.These devices look and function like existing state-of-the art wirelesscommunication devices but add the functionality dictated by the presentdisclosure. Either hardware in the user devices 102 or hardware in theCMRS network 100, 101, 106, and 103 determine or triangulate thelocation of the device 102 on a near real-time or on-demand basis. Thisallows the users to record their location and to access and recordmessages that are located in an area centered about a specificcoordinate way point.

FIG. 2 illustrates an alternative embodiment wherein the usercommunication device 109 is mounted removably or permanently in theuser's automobile 108. The device contains an integral display screen111, a housing 109, a microphone 110, speaker(s) 112, and interfacecontrol buttons 113. Optionally, the display screen 111 may be a touchscreen display screen. Preferably, the device is responsive to voicecommands facilitated in one embodiment by external microphone 110. Inthis manner, when a CMRS subscriber is driving in his automobile 108 hemay be able to receive messages when his automobile 108 enters an areacentered about a specific coordinate way point. Also, he may record thecoordinate way point by pushing a button on his car-mountedcommunication device 109 while passing the point, or by speaking acommand to record the location. After this, he is able to leave a textor spoken message to be associated with the location through one ofseveral methods, including through the device itself 109, calling intothe network, and by using his computer 105 to communicate with HTTPserver 104.

FIG. 3 illustrates the process of the network monitoring the progress ofa user device 102 or 109 through the network. At box 200, a beaconsignal from the device 102 or 109 is received by the data managementserver 103. Such signals are notoriously well known in the art and areutilized by mobile phones, pagers, and personal communication devices sothat a network can “know” when a user has his device on and is withinthe influence of the network, and also his approximate location withinthe network as measured by the closest tower(s). The reason for this isthat when someone receives a phone call or a page, the call is notbroadcast throughout the entire network, just to the towers near to orcommunicating with the subscriber's device. When the beacon signal isreceived, the information conveyed by the signal is extracted, at box201. This information includes the ID (the device number or phonenumber), the location of the device, and optionally preferenceinformation with regard to messages. Next, at box 202, the databaseresiding in the data management server 103 is checked to determine ifthere is a message accessible to that person at that location. At box203, a decision point is reached. If the query criteria is not met, thatis to say there is no message (the location is not correct orpreferences do not allow a message to be received, both conditions beingnecessary and neither being sufficient) then the system resumes to theoriginal state at box 205, waiting for the next beacon signal. Thesesignals may be sent repetitively at certain time intervals. This couldbe anywhere from seconds to minutes, but may probably be on the order ofminutes to reduce calculations performed by the network or user device.Alternatively, these time intervals may also be set by the user toaffect performance as desired. As an example, it may be desirable toturn this feature off if a user is stationed at a specific point such asat the office, at home, attending a stationary event, etc. to conservepower. If at decision box 203, it is determined that the criteria forsending a message is met, then a message is sent at box 204 to thespecific device 102 or 109. Then the system returns to the wait state atbox 205 for the next time interval to elapse and the next beacon signalto be received 200.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary composition of the outgoing devicebeacon signal which is transmitted periodically to the CMRS network. Box206 is representative of the signal. It is comprised of anidentification number (generally the device's phone number), thelocation of the device in 2 dimensional space (if the device performsthe triangulation), a preference code, and an affinity group code, ifthe person is a member or owner of any affinity groups. The preferencecode is an N bit boolean number wherein each bit turns on or off certainpreferences with respect to receiving messages. This information iswritten stored in the data management server 103. The affinity groupcode is a group-specific code with a leading or trailing identifier bitto represent whether the subscriber is a member or owner of a specificaffinity group. FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary preference code bittable 207. In this table 207, the preference code is 5 bits longallowing for 6 unique content preferences, including a “do not disturb”setting represented by 00000. There are 2⁵ unique combinations or wordsthat can be created by these 5 bits, thus 26 combinations of 00000,00001, 00010, 00100, 01000, and 10000. However, one of ordinary skill inthe art will understand that either more or less bits may be requireddepending upon the different categories of messages to be received.Additionally, it is a general practice in the field of programming andsignal transmission to reserve bits for future allocation so that as newfeatures and services come on-line, they can be integrated into theexisting platform as easily and cheaply as possible. One of ordinaryskill in the art will appreciate and understand that more or lessinformation may be necessary in the outgoing device signal as isnecessary to support the available functionality without departing inspirit or scope from the present disclosure.

As to privacy of the network subscribers, by putting their device in thedo not disturb mode, their position will not be monitored by thenetwork. Additionally, it may be desirable to utilize a scheme forpreventing the direct transfer of coordinate information. This could befacilitated by maintaining two separate databases. When the device ornetwork calculate the location of a user, a closest grid number isassigned. Each wireless network can be divided into grids. A closest fitalgorithm can be used to take the actual location and map it to apredefined grid point. The actual location of the point cannot bedeciphered by just looking at it. Available messages are stored inassociation with the grid numbers only. In this fashion, a grid numberis sent out with the outgoing device signal, rather than a location. Thesystem merely matches grid numbers with messages so the system is notdirectly tracking the location of a user. It is merely providing contentwhich is tied to a code that is correlated to a location. This may alsoexpedite implementation, by providing a standard for locationidentification, i.e., grid points, that can be extended across allwireless communication platforms. However, it is important to note thateven if the person has their phone in the do not disturb mode, thatthere is an exception handler for cases when they are actually dialing911. This will insure that position information will be sent to the PSAPtaking the call.

FIG. 6 demonstrates the process of recording a coordinate location sothat a message can be associated with the specific location. In box 208,the device is in the powered state and located within the influence ofthe CMRS network. When a specific location is reached where a persondesires to leave a personal message, they push a button at box 209 ontheir communication device 102 or 109 to record the physical location atthat instant in time. Alternatively, this can be affected by a voicecommand to “record location” or other syntax affecting the same result.By performing this command, the location is then sent to the network atbox 210 or the network is requested to record the location dependingupon whether the positioning is performed by the device or by thenetwork. The location is then recorded along with the ID of the deviceand it is assigned a unique message code so that it can be referred toat block 211. At block 212, the message code is then returned to thedevice, so that it can be stored in the device along with an optionaltext or spoken identifier so that it can be accessed later or so that amessage can be associated with a specific message, box 213. Once thecode is received at the device, there are one of several possiblemethods of recording a message to be associated with the specific codeand location. In FIG. 7, the message code is received at the device 214,creating at least two possible step sequences. In the first, the userpushes a “record message” button 215. He then speaks into the deviceitself or into an attached or communicating microphone 216 and themessage is stored locally 217 in the device's memory. The microphonecould be a wireless Bluetooth microphone such as that which ismanufactured by Ericsson Corporation. The user then pushes a “send”button, or speaks a “send” command, causing the message to be sent tothe data management server 103, where it is stored in association withthe message code, in the server's 103 database. Alternatively, the usercan push a “record message” button, or speak a “record message” command219, which causes the device to establish a live connection with thenetwork 220. The user then speaks his message into the device or into amicrophone attached to or communicating with the device 221. The userthen pushes a button or issues a command that causes the message to bestored directly in the database at the server in association with themessage code 222, and terminates the live connection with the server.

There are other methods for sending messages to the network that arespecific to facilitating the entry of text messages into the system.Refer to FIG. 8. At box 223, the message code is received at the device,which has been generated and returned by the network. The user thenenters a message into the device using a keyboard, which is integral tothe device at step 224. This could be the keyboard inherent to mostmobile telephone devices, or it could be a keyboard revealed when thedevice is opened about a hinged joint integral to the device. An exampleof such a keyboard is the one inherent to paging devices such as thosemanufactured by Motorola Corporation, particularly the Talkabout T9002-way pager which is supported by several wireless service and pagingproviders. The device is hinged along one of its long axis to reveal aminiature keyboard and display screen. The keyboard could also be a softkeyboard which is displayed on a display screen and is activated bytouch or by stylus. Alternatively, it may be a separate keyboard such asa miniature keyboard attached to a wearable computer. At box 225 theuser hits the “send” key or issues an analogous command causing the textmessage and message code to be sent to the data management server 226.The message is then stored in a location at the server in associationwith the message code 227.

In yet another alternative embodiment, users can use their personalcomputers 105 to upload location specific messages to the datamanagement server 103. Refer to FIG. 9. At box 223, the message code isreceived at the device. The user may choose to enter a text or spokenidentifier for this message code such as “directions to my house,” sothat when he returns home or to the office and desires to enter theactual body of the message associated with that message code, he knowswhat the message code is for. At box 228, he uses his computer to entera text or voice message along with the unique message code using the WWWinterface and HTTP server 104. This interface could be email or simply aWWW form template allowing the user to type in a message or attach atext or audio file containing the message, which is then submitted. Uponsubmission or being sent via email, the message is interpreted andstored in the database, in association with the specific message code227.

Another useful feature of the present disclosure is the ability for CMRSsubscribers to create affinity groups for use with the presentdisclosure. Affinity groups allow persons to send messages on-demand tospecific custom defined lists of other subscribers, and they also allowgroup members to be made aware of the others' proximity within the CMRSnetwork. That is to say, if a team of workers is distributed across thecountry, or a specific region, such as the Mid-Atlantic, and aparticular member comes into the home area of another member, then themembers are made aware of the their proximity to one another. That is tosay, a group member would know that another group member from anothercity was in his area, and he could contact the other group member viahis wireless device. Refer to FIG. 10. Choice point 230 defines a statewhereby a subscriber can either update an existing or create a newaffinity group. If he chooses to create a new group, he gives the groupa characteristic name, such as “my friends”, and defines the members ofthat group by inputting their wireless device numbers in associationwith their name, box 231. This could also be done by choosingname/number pairs from the memory of the device 102. If they are merelyupdating an affinity group, that is adding or removing a member, ordeleting the group, then they choose a group from memory at step 232.The device, on demand, displays a list of all groups owned and belongedto by the subscriber. The subscriber selects a group that he is ownerof. He will then add or remove a member at step 233 or delete the entiregroup. If it is not a group that he created, and hence owns, then he canonly remove himself from the group. Whether creating a new or making achange to an existing group, the information is then saved by invoking acommand at the user device at step 234. The changes are then uploaded tothe network and saved in the database at step 235. Alternatively, allchanges can be made at the network directly, using the device to engagea live session with the network to facilitate this. In order to protectthe privacy of the CMRS subscribers, any time a subscriber is added toan affinity group, the person is sent an electronic message to theirdevice notifying them of their inclusion in the group and the creator ofthe group, and granting them the opportunity to de-list themselves fromthe group at box 236. They may also have as an option on their accountthe right to prevent themselves from being included in any groups bydefault. When a person tries to add them to a group, they will receive amessage back stating that the person could not be added to the groupbecause of their security preferences. In this manner, the privacy ofCMRS subscribers will be protected with respect to affinity groups.

FIG. 11 illustrates an alternative embodiment for updating/creatingaffinity groups. At box 238, the user is faced with the choice point ofeither creating or updating an affinity group. If the choice is tocreate one, the subscriber uses his personal computer to log onto theWWW server interface at step 239. Using their wireless account numberand pass code, they may be able to access the “create/update affinitygroup” section. They may select “create” 240 and designate the numbersand names of the group members. If they are updating an affinity group,they may logon to the server and select “update groups” 243. They maythen select a particular affinity group from the list of availablegroups 244, and then either add or remove a member or members 245 ordelete the group entirely. In either case the information is then savedby invoking a “save changes” command and the changes are uploaded to thedatabase 241. A text message is then sent out to any new membersnotifying them of their inclusion within the group and granting them theopportunity to reject this inclusion at step 242.

A useful feature of the affinity groups is the ability to send out asingle message to all group members simultaneously. Refer to FIG. 12.The user first selects an affinity group at box 246. A list of allactive groups included in or owned is maintained in the user device orperiodically uploaded to the user device by the network. The user thenspeaks or types a message into the device at 247. The user then pushes a“send” button, box 248, or issues a command which causes the message tobe sent to the network, along with an affinity group ID so that it canbe associated with all group members, box 249. The group ID is thenmatched with the ID in the database and is stored at 250. A message ornotification of a message is then sent to everyone in the group,allowing them to view/listen to directly, or on-demand, the content ofthe message, box 251.

In another alternative embodiment, a subscriber may leave affinity groupmessages by calling into the network directly or by using the WWWinterface. Refer to FIG. 13. At box 252, a user selects an affinitygroup from those stored on his device. He pushes a button or issues acommand which activates a live session with the network 253. Inperforming this action, the ID of the device as well as the group ID aresent to the network 254. The person then speaks his message and themessage is recorded directly by the network 255, similar to leaving avoice mail message for the person. This message may or may not beassociated with a specific coordinate location. Alternatively, the usermay logon to the WWW server 256 to leave his affinity group message. Ina first step, after logging in with his device number and pass code, anaffinity group must be selected from the list of available groups 257.Then the user may either type a text message or attach a spoken one asan audio file, or attach any other type of file or message, at box 258.Finally, he may push a “submit” button to send the message to the serverwhere it may be saved in the database in association with the group ID.At box 260, the message, or a notification of the message, is sent toall affinity group members.

Another useful feature of affinity groups is the ability to notifymembers of proximity to one another within in the CMRS network. FIG. 14illustrates in flow diagram form the steps the system goes through totrack affinity group members and notify them when proximity thresholdsare achieved. At step 263, the user device transmits to the network thegroup code along with the outgoing device beacon signal. The system usesthe group number and other information to check against the proximityconditions stored in the group file at box 264. The system faces achoice point at 265. If the conditions are not met, the system returnsto step 263 to wait for the next incoming device signal. If theconditions are met, a notification is sent to the parties which are inproximity of one another, box 266.

An important element of the disclosure is the use of triangulation orother location determining scheme. This ability to pinpoint the locationof a user device is what allows for the functionality of the presentdisclosure. In the absence of a GPS solution, this can be performed byhardware in the network or hardware in the device itself. In eitherapproach, the relative propagation times of three or more synchronizedsignals, the magnitude of several signals, the angle of arrival ofsignals, and combinations of the above can be used to determine anaccurate position of the device. FIG. 15 demonstrates an overview of thesystem when the network itself is performing the triangulation or signalmeasurements to determine a location. In this embodiment, user device102 sends a signal which could be the outgoing device signal 206 to thenetwork. This signal is picked up by nearby towers 100 and transmittedelectrically 106 to the data management server 103. The server then usesthis information to run a triangulation algorithm or other signalcharacteristic algorithm to determine the location of the device. Thedevice is not required to make any calculations; however, the system istaxed heavily by performing these calculations continuously for allparticipating subscribers. FIG. 19 illustrates this process in flowdiagram form. At point 267, the user device sends the outgoing devicesignal to the network, including a time stamp. The signal is received bythree or more towers, 268. The towers then send the information and thetime that the signal was received by each to the data management server,269. The server then runs a triangulation or other signal characteristicalgorithm using all this information as inputs, at box 270, to derive aspecific coordinate location of the device within the network. Thiscoordinate location is stored in a location database for the particularuser device on the server, 271. The system then waits N seconds beforereceiving the next outgoing device signal from the same device, 272.

FIG. 17 illustrates an overview of the same system where the deviceitself is performing the triangulation or signal calculation. The devicemay have to possess processing capability for performing thiscalculation every N seconds without noticeably detracting from theperformance of the device. A DSP chip may be integrated into the devicefor providing such computational capability. In this embodiment,wireless transceiver towers 100 transmit a signal 101, including theirlocation, at the same instant in time. They are received by the userdevice 102 at varying times depending upon their relative distance. Theymay also vary in signal strength and angle of arrival according to theirdistance and position. This information is then used by the device 102to calculate its location relative to the fixed position of the signalsreceived. Refer to FIG. 18 for a flow chart diagram of this process. Atbox 266, the towers send a time synchronized location signal. Thesignal(s) are received at the user device at varying times, box 267. Thedevice itself performs a triangulation algorithm or other signalcharacteristic algorithm, box 268. Through this process the device isable to determine its own location in 2-D coordinate space, 269. Thislocation information is then sent as part of the outgoing device signalto the network 270, after which the system waits N seconds beforesending out the next signal 271.

Reference is now made to FIG. 19, which illustrates, in flow chartformat, a method and system for real estate inquires in accordance witha preferred embodiment of the present invention. Initially, a propertyowner or real estate agent post information such as MLS type informationto the physical location of the property using one of the methodsdescribed above. In box 280, the Device is in the powered state andlocated within the influence of the CMRS network. When a person reachesthe specific location of the property that he is interested in learningmore about, they push a button at box 281 on their communication Device102 or 109. Upon depressing the button on the Device, the networktransmits MLS type information to the Device 282. Once the informationis viewed by the user, the information can be manipulated physicallysuch as by printing or electronically such as through fax or email.Additionally, the information can be sent to a real estate agent 283.

FIG. 20 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the entire systemconfigured specifically to facilitate financial transactions. Likeelements as described in relation to FIG. 1 will not be discussed here.Data management server 103 and HTTP server 104 would preferably beoperated by a provider of the service. Financial data which isassociated with the user's service provider such as account numberand/or routing number could be stored in server 103 or in a separateserver 284 such that when a user transacts with an asset, that debitwill appear on that account.

Reference is now made to FIG. 21, which illustrates, in flow chartformat, a method and system for financial transactions with an asset inaccordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. At step285, a user enters the code associated with a particular asset he wishesto receive information about such that the device's location relative tothe asset is identified. Alternatively, the information could be pusheddowned to the user's Device if he so chooses by turning on anappropriate preference in the Device. Information could be of a formsuch as special promotional advertisements. At step 286, anadvertisement is provided to the device. Upon receiving the information,the user may wish to enter into a transaction with the asset (step 287).The user can complete the transaction by pressing a predefined key or aseries of keystrokes on the Device (step 288). Alternatively, if theDevice if voice enabled, the user can speak into the Device, thuscompleting the transaction. Once the transaction is complete, the user'saccount associated with the service provider is billed for the amounttransacted (step 289), thereby allowing the user a paperlesstransaction.

Embodiments of the present disclosure have been described herein andshown in the accompanying drawings to illustrate underlying principles,but it is to be understood that numerous modifications and ramificationsmay be made without departing from the spirit or the scope of thisdisclosure.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method for conducting a wirelessfinancial transaction with an asset, the method comprising: receiving apredefined code corresponding to a particular category of advertisementinformation; determining that a position of a communication deviceoperating on a wireless communication network is within a proximitylimit of an asset; accessing a database to identify advertisinginformation associated with the asset; determining whether theidentified advertising information is associated with the receivedpredefined code; transmitting the identified advertisement informationto the communication device if the identified advertisement informationis associated with the received predefined code; and conducting afinancial transaction with the asset based on financial information fromthe communication device provided over the wireless communicationnetwork.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the advertisement informationis transmitted to the communication device in accordance with preferenceinformation set on the communication device.
 3. The method of claim 1,wherein the advertisement information is transmitted to thecommunication device based on asset identifying information providedover the wireless communication network from the communication device.4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining thecommunication device is operating on the wireless communication networkbased on signaling from the communication device.
 5. The method of claim1, further comprising: determining a location of the communicationdevice operating on the wireless communication network.
 6. The method ofclaim 5, wherein the determining the location of the communicationdevice is based on signaling from the communication device.